4788 Hardtop install (and selling Bimini)

[ashrun4fun]

I'm looking for any tips in installing our hard top. We have use of a crane at the Marina so that part should go smoothly. (Boat will stay in the water) I'm looking for any lessons learned or tips and tricks as we remove the bimini and drill new holes. It's a boaters discount hard top that comes with the stancions. Does anyone have pictures of their install? Location of stancion bases?
We will also be selling the Bimini with hardware as it has lots of years left. Dark Navy blue.
Thanks,
AShley

[Omega]

Hi. Ashley,

I would suggest that you build a cheap wooden support frame out of 2x4’s that is approximately the height you think it should be installed. It doesn’t have to be a complicated design. If you build it with a floating cross brace, or better yet, a set that is cross and fore and aft, you can use a small bottle jack, you can adjust the height to gain the proper level and location of the uprights before drilling etc. It will make things much easier, trust me.

My hardtop was a few hundred pounds and would’ve been impossible to install and level without my cheap support. If you set the hardtop on the frame and strap it down, you can move your boat back to her slip and finish up the installation at your pace. It will save a lot of cost in crane time (if that is a factor) and will allow you to install the hardtop more carefully and without having to rush. It allows the old process of “measure twice drill once”, per say.

I didn’t buy a kit or prefabbed unit, rather I built mine from scratch, so I had a lot of head scratching to do to overcome some of the install challenges.

I’ve attached a few pictures. Hopefully they help.

~BJ
OMEGA
5788

[ashrun4fun]

BJ,
Very nice hard top!! Mine is from a mold and should fit nicely but the 2x4 frame idea really is the way to go. I’ll do some measuring tonight.
thanks much for the reply.

[Omega]

Thank you for your kind words….

I would definitely build a cheap screwed together wood frame. I figured out where I could set uprights (legs) between the seats and such on the bridge and made legs that looked kind of like dual “H’s” that slid into each other. I used a 2x4 cross brace between the lower section of the H legs, where ever they fit, so the legs won’t bow or move on me, I made the cross brace of each “H” far enough apart so a small bottle jack would fit between the upper h and lower h cross.. I used that to adjust up and down a bit to find level and then used 3 1/2 in screws to secure the “H’s” side uprights together. It was nice, as I could adjust each leg independently to find plumb and screw or unscrew them, as needed, as I could simply screw into the wood anywhere along the upright.

Once I was finished the install, I simply unscrewed the system and off the boat it went. I would suggest using the deck screws with torx or star type heads. I forget what they are called, but they won’t strip easily as you srcew them in and out.

I hope your install goes well…

[brad4550]

When "Boaters Discount" installed hard tops they used a Sheetrock jack.

[fatee2k]

I'm looking for any tips in installing our hard top. We have use of a crane at the Marina so that part should go smoothly. (Boat will stay in the water) I'm looking for any lessons learned or tips and tricks as we remove the bimini and drill new holes. It's a boaters discount hard top that comes with the stancions. Does anyone have pictures of their install? Location of stancion bases?
We will also be selling the Bimini with hardware as it has lots of years left. Dark Navy blue.
Thanks,
AShley

Good Morning... We purchased a top from Boaters discount last year and installed it ourselves with the boat in the slip... I brought down 5 guys for the job, as didn't know what i was getting into, First was getting the 2 pieces down to the boat, we used the carts provided at the docks, and balanced it as we rolled it down to the boat... once we got it there, we draped big moving blankets over the side... ( We already removed the original benimi and brackets) I rented two drywall jacks from home depot... as 2 guys pushed from the bottom, other 3 were on top.. we layed the top across the two lifts... we then drilled the holes into the top..we also drilled hole for the light wiring in the top and the arch.. we did a dry fit and lifted it up to where we wanted it.. then drilled into the arch.. which is a chanllege as the angle is pretty aggressive ... we then ran a wire through both holes, lowered the unit into place and screwed it in... only after the next day we realized when we lowered the top into place, our wire hole was not lined up and jamed the wire, luckily we made it work... after screw in some screws, while of course still on jacks, we lined up the stanchions ... ( what a joke ) we could never get them to lay flat.. the directions say use a dead blow hammmer to adjust them.. it will just bend the edge you hit, its not like it is going to change the complete angle, anyway , we did bend them enough to get them close, and then filled them in with the while sealant they sent, The rear was about the same, those stanchions fit good, but the angle of the top was a joke, we had to oblong out the hole to be able to get anything in there to tighten up the screws.. then just sealed them all up with the white sealant... we did not do the lights in the back piece... overall it came out good, I"m kinda glad i did myself, as i'm sure they would have bitched about it, and i not sure they would have taken the time like i idid

[Nikko]

This is great info, thanks for taking the time. I've got the back half of the hardtop on order and plan to install myself - did you use one sheetrock jack or two for that (back) piece?